I often describe myself as a delusional optimist, which means I don’t spend a lot of time feeling discouraged. I tend to broker in the world of possibilities and the...
For the past year I have been wearing a simple gold ring in the shape of a circle. It isn’t an infinity sign, but the continuous circle serves as a...
The woman sat awkwardly on the folding chair outside the dark office of a small business, continually checking the posted hours of operation and the calendar housed on her phone. Without...
On one of our many corporate transfers, my family found themselves in Daytona Beach for a few years. Anyone who has lived the life of moving every couple of calendar...
I just returned from a series of meetings and a conference in New York City. I was traveling solo most of the week which provided me plenty of alone time...
I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone asked me about ghosts. When the Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently moved into our new home, Collaboratory, we were following in the...
There are certain times it is not wise to search for information on the internet. I am reminded of this every time I google an unknown medical symptom, or the...
I noticed the Guide to Flipping Houses on the internet not too long ago, “5 Easy Steps to House Flipping.” I’m a closet fan of Flip or Flop, Flipping Out...
by Anne Chernin, MSW, MBA, Director of Client Services At Naples Senior Center we know that caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging and,...
I work alongside a team member who likes to ask “there are no bad ideas, right?” before she launches into an idea generating session at the office. I find myself...
Preventing Dog Bites in Elementary Aged Children in Lee County By Nicole Ferguson-Morrison, DVM, MS, MPH, MRCVS Veterinarian, Lee County Domestic Animal Services Dog bites are a frightening experience for anyone, especially children....
The sights and sounds of commencements are all around us this time of year. I remember my own graduations and the sense that the whole world had stopped and noted...
I found out last week that I am not the only one with a storied past. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I share...
Can you imagine standing up on stage in front of a large rowdy crowd and reading excerpts from your childhood diary? It seems unimaginable to me, but last weekend I...
I decided to work from home today, so I am not wearing my business attire and am writing this from my comfortable couch with a very different view out the...
No doubt many of you are recovering from the recent Easter egg hunting season. Spring is in the air and for weeks leading up to the Easter Bunny’s annual pilgrimage...
Plastics. This one word is actually ranked number 63 in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie quotations in American Cinema. It appears in the 1967 movie...
Recently I was enjoying a cup of coffee with a new acquaintance who had reached out to learn more giving and philanthropy in Southwest Florida. When he asked me about myself...
As I stood in the massive ticketing lobby of the Mexico City International Airport I was swept up in a wave of unfamiliarity. I felt disoriented and it took a...
As expected this time of year the line to valet at the Naples resort seemed to stretch out endlessly. Experienced Southwest Floridian’s have grown to expect this during season and...
The plates of cookies and pitchers of fruit-infused water went untouched for weeks. This surprised me as I thought the smell of warm chocolate chip wonders and refreshing thirst quenchers...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded $539,582.58 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest...
I am a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout. I joined the Girl Scouts as a young girl, starting out as a Brownie scout and staying involved all the way through...
New exhibit features artwork by five local physicians The Southwest Florida Community Foundation will launch a new art display at its Community Hub in February. Beginning February 2, “Art Doctors” will feature...
This is a little bit of alphabet soup for you in the new year, but good news nonetheless. First, let’s just say that there are some nice benefits to being...
There was something very special about Mary. She lived to be 96 and during her lifetime she was educated, married a wonderful man, was well-traveled, had children and grandchildren she...
I always enjoy watching a crowd stream into a room with unassigned seating. There are normally two distinct groups; the front row people who rush in and claim their spots in...
Our community does an amazing job providing food for hungry people during the holidays. My email inbox and social media feeds explode this time of the year with stories of...
Recently I was traveling on a back road in Northeast Florida that reminded me of car trips with my grandparents. I spent many of my childhood summers with them and...
Milestone $2.5 million endowment gift by local philanthropists David and Linda Lucas inspires new fund Watch interview with Mr. Lucas by clicking here. FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 1, 2017) – The Southwest...
Brace yourselves for the onslaught of back to school promotions. For those of you who grew up when school started after Labor Day the abundance of ads for all things...
Are you a student of wonder? One of the 5 values that guides our team’s work at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation is encouraging curiosity and exploration to promote learning and...
Recently there has been quite a bit of talk about bridge building in our nation and in our communities. Not the literal infrastructure kind of construction but rather symbolic scaffolding...
If people watching were an official sport, I am fairly certain I could be a contender for the Olympic team or championship game. Wherever I go I look for opportunities to...
Last week I was driving down College Parkway in Fort Myers and noticed a car stalled out in a turn lane. A moment later people were racing across the road...
I enjoy the challenge of navigating a new city, particularly as a solo traveler. I feel empowered when I am able to get from point A to point B on...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded $557,036.00 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest...
How are you going to change the world? It was an innocent enough question that I asked each of the young professionals who visited our office last week. These six young...
My sister-in-law has a decorative plaque hanging in her house that begs the question, “What if tomorrow you had only the things you gave thanks for today?” Inspirational quotes show up...
I recently heard a story in which a man was trying to break a Guinness World Record by rowing the distance in a boat made out of a huge, human-sized...
by Jason Kurek, Champions for Learning “If you know you have the potential to do something, then you need to do it,” says Darchelle Excellent, Champions For Learning Real World Learning...
My youngest child is 15 years old now so Easter egg hunts have gone by the wayside. I considered hiding cash in plastic eggs all over the yard this year...
The next generation of philanthropists, those who fit into “Gen X” (born 1964-1980) or “Gen Y/Millennial” (born 1981-2000), will wield more philanthropic power than any previous generation, according to Nextgendonors.org....
More than $500,000 available through 50 scholarships for students seeking post-secondary education The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s scholarship application process for the 2016-2017 school year will begin on Friday, Jan. 15....
There is no doubt that a New Year gives us plenty of chances to count things down. It seems to begin right around the week before Christmas when we become...
